• Moldova beat ten-man Finland 2-0 on 3 September last year; Sami Hyypiä was shown a straight red card on 36 minutes for a challenge on Viorel Frunza, with substitute Alexandru Suvorov and Anatolie Doroş scoring after the interval to give the hosts a first competitive win since a November 2007 encounter with Hungary.

• Finland's record in three games against Moldova reads W1 D1 L1 (W1 D0 L0 at home). New Finland coach Mixu Paatalainen scored the winner in Finland's lone victory.

• Their only previous encounters came in qualifying for UEFA EURO 2000, with the first of them, in Helsinki on 5 September 1998, an eventful occasion.

• Joonas Kolkka put Richard Møller-Nielsen's Finland ahead after eight minutes, but Igor Oprea swiftly turned the tables with goals in the tenth and 12th minutes for Ivan Danilianţ's men. Jonatan Johansson then struck just before the break to level and Paatelainen hit what proved to be the winner for Finland on 64 minutes.

• Moldova ended that game with ten men following Ghenadie Pusca's late dismissal.

• The return fixture in Chisinau ended in a 0-0 draw.

• Titleholders from the two nations met in the second qualifying round of the 2009/10 UEFA Champions League, with Moldova's FC Sheriff winning 1-0 home and away against FC International Turku.

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